Texel tops three-breed sales fixture at Carlisle

Last weekend’s three-breed fixture at Borderway Mart brought Texel, Berrichon du Cher and Zwartbles sheep under the hammer with the day’s top call of 1800gns made for the Texel champion that had led the entry in the Solway and Tyne Texel Breeders Club show and sale.

Consigned from the Wardhall flock of Aspatria, Cumbria breeder A Mounsey the lamb is by Cowal Maserati and had stood champion under judge S Symes who runs the Anglezarke flock at Chorley, Lancashire. He strays in Cumbria with G Wilkinson, Aspatria.

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Tamnamoney Lynbrook has proved a successful sire for the Clark family’s Garngour flock at Lesmahagow and he came good again with a son at 900gns. Taken by J Mitchell, Stocksfield, Northumberland, this lamb is out of a Castlecairn Kennedy sired ewe.Zwartbles sheep, with their black fleeces and white points, have been enjoying a surge in popularity in recent years despite having been in the UK for well over a decade. At the breed association’s show and sale at Carlisle a top price of 720gns was achieved twice.

Peter Coombs, one of the original importers of the breed, was the first to sell at this price with a shearling ram from his Mendip flock at Bath. The buyer was O Hughes-Owen, Anglesey.

Sharing top spot was a ram lamb from the Holmlea flock of John Thorburn, Eastriggs, Dumfries claimed jointly by A H Tucker, West Lothian and G Macdonald, Motherwell.

Robert and Jean Graham, best known for their top-ranking Limousins, led prices at the Berrichon Du Cher breed society’s fixture selling a ram lamb from their Strathallan flock at Bridge of Allan, Stirling. The lamb is out of a ewe that took the reserve breed title at this year’s Royal Show.

Averages: Texel – 50 shearling rams £342; 87 ram lambs £232 and 30 gimmer shearlings £200. Zwartbles – 50 gimmer shearlings £150; 41 ewe lambs £185; 14 shearling rams £160 and 23 ram lambs £185. Berrichon du Cher – 18 aged and shearling rams £186; 13 ram lambs £162 and five gimmer shearlings £138. (Harrison and Hetherington).